When I think about how I’ve grown as a drummer, not just technically, but mentally, two names always come up: Jared Falk and Mike Johnston. I don’t just mean they gave me cool licks to practice or exercises to tighten up my timing. They taught me how to think about drums differently. And honestly, that made all the difference.
I stumbled onto Jared Falk’s videos when I was still figuring out the basics with the drums. Jared is the co-founder of Drumeo, and even if you don’t know his name right away, chances are you’ve seen his work. He’s been one of the most consistent and helpful voices in the online drumming community. The way he breaks things down made me feel like I wasn’t behind, even though I definitely was. His early lessons aren’t just “watch and repeat.” They’re thoughtful. Structured. It’s the kind of teaching that meets you where you are, without ever talking down to you. And of course, they have built a pretty cool company off of what he started with.
Then there’s Mike Johnston, whose site, mikeslessons.com, ended up being one of the most important resources I’ve used when I started with the drums. Mike’s approach is completely grounded, and yet so inspiring. I didn’t just learn grooves or fills from him. I learned how to think about space. About restraint. He has this calm, thoughtful way of getting ideas across that makes you rethink how you approach your own kit.
Mike’s lessons often go deeper than technique. One that really stuck with me was about not overplaying, not filling every space just because you can. He talks about context, dynamics, and playing for the music, not over it. That hit home for me in a way that random YouTube tutorials never could.
What’s wild is that both Jared and Mike were never chasing social media trends from what I could see. Their content wasn’t built on hype; it was built on value. I never felt like I was being sold something. Instead, I felt like I was being invited to learn something interesting, practice something new, or just enjoy watching drum videos that helped me become a better player.. Whether it was Jared talking about practice structure or Mike walking through a groove in 6/8, these two were some of the original drumming “influencers,” and we have to appreciate them for that.
Even now, years in, I go back to their content – some of the original videos too. If I’ve gone too long without practicing or if I feel like I’m stuck in a rut, these videos and lessons kind of bring me back to my roots as a drummer and help me practice the basics again.